Process of extracting and recovering the volatilizable contents of sedimentary mineral strata.



No. 849,624. I VPVATENTBD APR. 9;'19ov'.= .1142. BAKER; f PROCESS OF EXTRAOTING AND RBGOVERINQ THE VOLATILIZABLB comm ts 0F SEDIMENTARY MINERAL STRATA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2 3', 1902.

WITNESSES: m Fly] INVENTOR ATTORNEY x UnrrEn srAns rnnr orrion DELOS R. BAKER, or DELAWARE, OHIO.

PROCESS OF EXTRACTING AND arcovrsmc THE VOLATILIZABLE CONTENTS OF SEDIMENTARY MINERAL STRATA,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed June 23, 1902. Serial No. 112,742.

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, DELOS It. BAKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Delaware, in the county of Delawareend State of Ohio, have invented a certain neTw and useful Improvement in Processes of Extracting and Recovering the Volatilizable 7 Contents of lowing is a specification. "I

Sedimentary Mineral Strata, of which the fol- 2 is a transverse section through one of said wells on line 00 :z: of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Myprocess consists in placing in earthwells having more or less imperfect electrical ground conduction naturally or artificially existent between them wire or other conductors of electricity from some source thereof and in completing the circuit between said conductors through the said'ground connection, my objectbeing to gain therebya thermic effect upon the contents of portions of said strata'intervenient between or circumjacent to said wells, whereby the said contents may be extracted and re covered without the labor and expense of mining said strata by mechanical means and of subsequently reducing it in suitable apparatus at the earths surface.

' In the drawings I have illustrated a means ofcarrying out'this process which may be described as follows:

1 and 2 represent wells or channels of communication between said strata and the surface of' the earth, each of which is provided with a water-tight casing 3, which, as shown in the drawings, may extend from the upper ends of said wells to a suitable depth therein, the lower'ends of each of said casings meeting or connecting with a horizontally-dispose plate 'or sealing-diaphragm l. The lower end portions of the wells are connected through the medium of a tunnel, such as is indicated .at 2*; but said tunnel is an alternative communication between said wells indefault of natural communication through the seams, veins, pores, and other natural openings in said strata and is not a part of what I claim as my invention. At intervals within each of the 'wells or channels I provide guiderings 5, each of said guide-rings being formed with an inwardprojection, such as is indicated at 5*. Through openings formed in said projections 5 and in the sealing-diapliragms a pass pipes 6, these pipes extending, preferably, to the bottoms of the wells .or channels 1 and. having their lower portions perforated, as in dicated at 7. Leadin from the earths surface through the well 1 to the lower end thereof is a wire 8, said wire passing through a suitable opening in the sealing-diaphragm 4. Leadingthrough and to the lower por tion of. the well 2 is a similar wire 9; Said wires 8 and 9 may terminate at the inner ends of the wells in a pervious stratum and the connection between the same be accomplished by natural resistance elements, such as mineralized'water, which may exist in or be introduced into the said stratum or as metallic substances finely disseminated through the strata. In default of natural communi-- cation between said wells and in.case of the provision of the artificial communication 2 the electric circuit alternatively maybe com pleted by the introduction into tunnel 2 of a metallic resistance element 10, suitably subported, as shown; but said element 10 in said tunnel 2 is not a necessary part of my inven-' tion nor claimed as such.

The [wires 8 and 9 at the earths surface may connect with a dynamo, such as indicated at 11, or with any other suitable source of electricity.

In order to provide an effective separation between theupper and lower portions of'each of the wells, I .have provided the sealing-diaphragms 4, upon which may be deposited a desirablequantity of dry and pulverizedclay or its equivalent, as indicated at 12.

By the operation upon the strata in place of the heat which results from the passage of the current through the said strata the volatilizable contents of said strata are extracted, and such contents thus extract-ed may be by suitable means withdrawn through the outlet-pipes 6-to the surface of the earth, Where they may be collected or suitably disposed of.

It is obvious that the channels of communication 1 and and their contained. wires and, pipes may have any desired inclination or may be horizontal, and I. do not desire in this a plication to limit myself to any angle of inc.inat'i0n of said channels.

As will be understood, the process herein described afl'ords a simple and reliable means for cilecting the extraction of the volatilizable contents of the sedimentary strata in place.

As examples of the volatilizable contents of sedimentary strata susceptible to the operations above specified 1 may mention the hydrocarbons, native metals-- such mercury, bismuth, antimony, arsenic, zinc, etc, sulfur, both native and in composition, inpyrite, mispicliel, galena, redruthiie, argentite, blendc, rite, chlorids l the metals and allralie-such as (itlOllil, sylvite, chlorite,

esasee what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein described process for ex:- tracting and recovering the volatilizable contents of sedimentary strata in. place in the earth, consisting of the provision of two earth-wells from the earths surface to said subterranean strata in place, the transmis sion by means of conductors in said. wells and by means of ground conduction between said Wells through said strata of a current of electricity, the withdrawal in gascmis form from one of said. wells of the products of the operation oi said current upon the contents of said strata and the recovery of the withdrawals.

2. The herein -des -,ribcd process for extracting and, recovering the volatilizable con tents of sedimentary strata in place in the earth, consisting of the provision of two scaled earth-wells from the cart hs surface to said subterrancan strata in place, the transmission by means ol' comluctors introduced into said wells and by means of ground con duction between the sealed. portions oi" said wells through said strata of a current of elec tricity, the witlulrawal in. gaseous form from one of said wells through a channel communicating between the sealed portion ol said Well and the earths surface of the prodnets of the opera'l ion of the said current upon the contents of said strata in Mac'e and the recovery of the withdrawals.

DELOS it. ZAK ER.

1n. presence oi A. L.' Prisms, W. L. Monnmv. 

